None of This Means Anything
In 1988, the Dodgers played the Mets eleven times during the regular season and lost ten times! Did that mean anything? No! In the playoffs that year, the Dodgers took four out of seven games from the Mets to win the NL Pennant. The Mets 10-1 record against the Dodgers didn t mean a thing! The Mets won 100 games that year. The Oakland A s won 104 games that same season
In 1988, the Dodgers played the Mets eleven times during the regular season… and lost ten times! Did that mean anything? No! In the playoffs that year, the Dodgers took four out of seven games from the Mets to win the NL Pennant. The Mets 10-1 record against the Dodgers didn’t mean a thing! The Mets won 100 games that year. The Oakland A’s won 104 games that same season and it didn’t mean anything!
The Dodgers had the NL MVP that year and yet they only won 94 games and to top it off they lost their MVP due to leg injuries for the rest of the playoffs… and they won it all. None of the other stuff meant anything. Losing their MVP mean nothing. What means something is how you finish. What means something is the spirit of the team. What means something is the power of the human spirit on that team at the time of the playoffs and World Series.
With one swing, in his only at bat during the World Series, Kirk Gibson broke the spirit of the Oakland A’s – and they were done! As Vin said, “In a season that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.” Jack Buck said “I don’t believe what I just saw!” So, while all of this winning is nice – none of it means anything. The Dodgers are building character, habits and team spirit and that might mean something, but the best team does not always win.
Intangibles are important and hard to define. How the human spirit responds to adversity is something very difficult to see and understand, but is paramount to success. High character players, coach staff and leadership all plays a role. The Dodgers are now 81 and 33 for a ,711 winning percentage and I am telling you, it means nothing! This Dodger team will likely win well over 100 games, but the final chapter is what will define them.
If they don’t win it all, it means nothing! In 2016 the Dodgers took steps toward a Championship by going further than than the year before. Now, a Championship is expected. Anything else will be regarded as a failure. Injury? No excuses! Bad Luck? No excuses! Blown call? No excuses! Just win baby! That’s all that matters right now. All Dodger fans expect a World Series Trophy. Nothing else will mean anything.
The World Series Trophy – That means Everything and it upon that that, Andrew Friedman will be judged.
Update
- After 19 AB’s in the minors, A-Gon has 1 HR and 8 RBI and is hitting .368 with a .992 OPS. Wouldn’t it be something if he could stay healthy and return to his 2013 and 2014 form. I don’t expect it, but it could happen.
- Ramos is still over 1.000 OPS and Segedin is raking at OKC.
- Mitch White went 5 innings last night, struck out 8 and allow 2 hits with ZERO runs. He has 62 IP and allowed only 36 Hits to go with 73 K’s. His ERA is is 2.76 , WHIP is 0.96 and the hitters have a .164 BA against him. That is ASTOUNDING! Since his promotion to AA his ERA is 1.59 in 4 games. I believe he is bound to OKC soon. He might/could get a September call-up. He’s not a puppy – he will be 23 in December. Currently he is the Dodgers #6 prospect. He could be #2 by season’s end. He also has a shot at the rotation next year, but I’m not sure they want Walker Buehler integrated the same season.
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Discussion (63)
Disagree, not disagreeable
UPDATE ABOVE
Yo Rick, I’m afraid your comments on Don Mattingly and it’s affect on our astute readers would be like peeing in the ocean to raise the tide!!! They’re hellbent…
Yep like I said the A’s, as great a team as I’ve seen on the field and dysfunctional off…
A couple of thoughts:
1 – August bullpen performance hasn’t been good.
28 IP 18 ER 5.79 ERA 7 HR allowed
This is after 1/3 of the month – I know, all bullpen appearances are short and this is a small sample size, but I don’t like the trend. Last night’s game should have been a laugher and it wasn’t. Tuesday’s game should have been a win but it wasn’t.
2 – I agree that Roberts and his crew have done a good job of having the Dodgers play together but the negative statements about Mattingly aren’t quite fair. Don’t forget, the Dodgers were in last in 2013 when they went on their 42 – 8 run – the team hadn’t quit playing for Donnie and it never did.
3 – Winning makes everything better. There have been lots of teams that hated each other but played great. Think about the A’s of the 70’s, the Yankees of the 70’s, the Mets in the 80’s, etc.
I agree with you Mark, but Bluto isn’t going to be happy!
And I do think Roberts and his coaches, deserve most of the credit, for instilling this attitude in the clubhouse.
They are with these players, almost everyday, during the season.
And I think Roberts, and his coaches, being younger then Mattingly and his guys, makes a difference too.
Mattingly and his guys, didn’t bring any energy to this team, and in fact I felt Mattingly zapped the energy from this team at times, and you could see that, especially in the post season.
Like Al, I like players that had to come out from no where, and had to prove they belong in this line up, because these type of players, don’t take what they have, for granted!
And even Corey and Cody, who will probably be superstars, don’t take anything for granted either, even though, they are so talented, and that is rare!
Because often, the most talented players do take things for granted, like Puig once did.
But Puig has come a long way, this year, and Puig becoming a better team mate, has made Puig even better on the field, because he feels he belongs on this team now.
And all of this, starts with Roberts and his coaches, and I hope this only instills the player’s confidence, in the post season!
Yep one of the most high character teams I remember were Charley Finley’s A’s!!! Ya think??? Can’t forget the ‘We are Family’ Bucs… More coca in the pen than in the evidence holding in PPD!!! Or was that the Mets???
M.T. summed it up, Just Win It Baby…
I agree Mark it does not mean a thing. However, the thing that I like most about this team is their high character. FAZ has put these kinda guys on the team. Doc has cultivated the culture in the club house. Matting did none of that. I would rather go to war with the guys they have on this team, then Mattingly’s team. And war it is when play offs start.
It might not mean anything, but it sure is fun watching day in and day out! This is a fun regular season and I’m enjoying watching it . Here’s hoping it expands to the playoffs and a World Series win.
I think Darvish got a bit of a gift on that last pitch to Goldschmidt. I wonder if Roberts would have let him face the next batter or brought in Baez. Good post Mark. Unless we get decimated by injuries between now and the playoffs this team’s success will be depend on whether they win the last game they play this year.
The way Wood has pitched the last couple outing reminds me of a post I made around the deadline about being concerned with him running out of gas. When Kershaw comes back I think the team should use a 6-man rotation for awhile and/or skip a start for Wood.